Lunchman

Hello again guys,
Once again I am looking for some help With my 99 xj and it's very much appreciated !

I have a 99 xj and a couple days ago while turning left into work there was a couple horrible bangs , like something was bound up and let go , it felt like it came from underneath under the drivers seat and now I have noticed while driving down the road it will stumble on occasion like it slipped a gear , a clunking if you will, has me pretty worried about driving it, it's a pretty violent snap while turning. If I pop it in neutral while turning there is no clunking or anything.

I have read on a few forums as to what it could be , from u joints to slip yolk needing lube but one suggested sound like this could be the culprit , someone suggested it's the chain in the transfer case that stretches and tends to jump a tooth or two and that's where the clunking is coming from.

You guys have always been extremely helpful in the past and hope you could shed some light on my problem , once again any help is very much appreciate.

Ok I jacked up the rear end and put it in neutral, rotated the tires and they spin equally , the drive shaft isn't moving but clicks once in a while , I put her in drive and and gave it some gas and when I pressed the brake she just started clunking away and chattering in the rear end so I am assuming I must have lost a tooth or two on the rear end ?

Turbo X_J

Only takes a minute to pull off the cover, are you sure it's not a sloppy u-joint?

51 ashton

Sounds likes from your description I would look at both front wheel ujoints. You didn't loose any teeth in the rear nor skip any chains. The reason it doesn't make the noise when turning is that in neutral there is no pressure on the drive line so the joint works somewhat easier and makes less noise. I changed all my 72 commando u joints in 1981. Since I had to change the ones on the front shaft, I changed them all and had total silence until I sold it. On the last ride I took it for cracked a reunion cap. Think about what it takes to do that ��

Lunchman

Thanks 51 Ashton, but it does the violent clunk when you turn more so on the hard left .....Thanks for the input guys, I am pretty sure it's not a sloppy u joint, have had bad u joints in the past and it's nothing like that , it's pretty violent. If I am driving and pop it into neutral she just coasts along with no stumbles or when I make a hard left it used to pop but if I pop it into neutral and coast through the left turn ...no violent clunking so it might not be anything in the rear end and hopefully it's just a stretched chain on the transfer case ! Once again I do appreciate the suggestions and I put....thank you!

Turbo xj, thank you sir for your advice and as soon as it stopes snowing in the next day or two I will pop off the cover and check the chain and am hoping that's what it is, doesn't appear that difficult to change.

Turbo X_J

Is all this racket happening in 4wd on dry pavement?

Lunchman

Hey turbo,
It's happening in 2 wheel drive and yes on dry pavement

terzdesign

Try checking your sway bar links for breaks at where they connect to the sway bar and frame. I had this issue last month when one of mine broke and it drove rough as hell when turning.

neverenuff

transfercase does not know when you are turning left or right... chain is spinning all the time so I don't see how it could possibly be anything with the T-case. Checking front sway bar mounts was good advice, so was checking axle shaft ujoints. Broken transmission or engine mounts are another possibility. What about steering gear box mounts? have you put an eyeball on the area where the gear box mounts - known to crack out there.

Lunchman

Ok an update everyone , it turned out to be the spider gears in the rear end! I want to thank everyone for their I put, it's always appreciated !

Turbo X_J